Sony W530 vs Sony A55

The following is a in-depth analysis of the Sony W530 vs Sony A55, one is a Ultracompact and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR and they are both produced by Sony. The image resolution of the W530 (14MP) and the A55 (16MP) is very comparable but the W530 (1/2.3") and A55 (APS-C) come with totally different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The W530 was manufactured 5 months after the A55 so they are of a similar generation. Each of the cameras come with different body type with the Sony W530 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony A55 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before delving straight into a in depth comparison, below is a simple view of how the W530 matches up vs the A55 for portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W530 and Sony SLT-A55. The entire galleries are provided at Sony W530 Gallery and Sony A55 Gallery.

In case you're aiming to travel with your camera often, you should think about its weight and dimensions. The Sony W530 offers physical measurements of 93mm x 53mm x 19mm (3.7" x 2.1" x 0.7") having a weight of 113 grams (0.25 lbs) and the Sony A55 has dimensions of 124mm x 92mm x 85mm (4.9" x 3.6" x 3.3") accompanied by a weight of 500 grams (1.10 lbs).

Look at the Sony W530 vs Sony A55 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you have attached at the time. The following is the front view overall size comparison of the W530 against the A55.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability rating of the W530 and A55 is 96 and 67 respectively.

Oftentimes, it's difficult to visualise the difference in sensor dimensions merely by seeing specifications. The picture below may give you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the W530 and A55.

To sum up, the 2 cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The W530 featuring a smaller sensor will make shooting shallow depth of field more difficult and the Sony A55 will provide extra detail due to its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop images somewhat more aggressively.